Immaturity of the myenteric plexus is the aetiology of meconium ileus without mucoviscidosis: a histopathologic study.

The most common aetiology of meconium ileus is a deficiency in trypsin activity caused by cystic fibrosis. The pathogenesis of meconium ileus without mucoviscidosis is less well understood, although a number of causative factors have been suggested. The symptoms and clinical course of nine patients with meconium ileus without mucoviscidosis were reviewed, and the myenteric plexus of a surgical specimen of intestine was examined histologically and cytometrically. The nuclei of the intramural ganglion cells were much smaller than were seen in normal newborn infants. The nuclear areas resembled those seen in fetuses of 5-6 months gestational age, but the number of ganglion cells approached normal. This immaturity of the ganglia was observed both in the contracted distal ileum and dilated proximal ileum. Patients with an ileostomy passed solid faeces for about 1 to 2 months postoperatively, after which time the faeces became watery. The intramural ganglia were mature at the time of ileostomy closure. We conclude that immaturity of the myenteric plexus in the ileum and colon seems to be the main aetiologic factor in meconium ileus without mucoviscidosis.

Extensive dissection at the porta hepatis for biliary atresia.

Dissection at the porta hepatis is the crucial step in surgery for biliary atresia. The authors describe their procedure for extensively dissecting the porta hepatis. The technique is based on an anatomic cast corrosion of the human liver, and the portal vein serves as the landmark for dissection. Lateral dissection at the hepatic hilus is critical to the procedure. On the right side, the anterior portal branches are dissected to the bifurcation of the S5 and S7 segmental portal branches, over the bifurcation of the anterior and posterior portal branches. On the left side, the liver parenchyma, which bridges the umbilical point, is sectioned, and the left portal branch is dissected to the umbilical point over the pars transversalis and taped. The fibrous mass that lies within the confines of the portal branches, including the dorsal aspect, is transected completely. This procedure was performed in 16 infants; the jaundice cleared in 93.7%.

Successful Kasai operation for biliary atresia in a 9 month old.

A rare case of a successful Kasai operation for biliary atresia in a 9 month old is described. For infants over 6 months of age, there had been no reports of long-term survival after this procedure.

Outcome of 21 patients with biliary atresia living more than 10 years.

The outcome of 21 survivors (8 males, 13 females; age range, 11 to 29 years) followed for > 10 years after surgery for biliary atresia are discussed. Of the 21 patients, 18 with type III disease had hepatic portoenterostomy (Kasai operation), and 3 with type I disease had hepaticoenterostomy. Twenty patients are alive leading almost normal lives; however, 13 (61.9%) patients did have a history of complications, including hemorrhage from esophageal varices in 10, from a gastric ulcer or erosion in 3, and from a duodenal ulcer in 2; biliary reobstruction in 3; and multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae in 2. Of those with complications, 7 required surgery. One died suddenly at the age of 19 years of a bleeding gastric ulcer. Liver function is normal in 9 (45.0%) of the 20 alive patients, 2 (10.0%) have slight hepatic dysfunction, and 9 (45.0%) have mild-to-moderate hepatic dysfunction. Liver function is almost normal in 3 patients who had a history of variceal hemorrhage.

Clinical, laboratory and prognostic features of congenital large intestinal motor dysfunction (pseudo-Hirschsprung's disease).

One hundred and forty-eight cases of congenital large intestinal motor dysfunction (pseudo-Hirschsprung's disease) were reported by members of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Surgeons during the past 20 years. The disorder was defined as a congenital, non-mechanical obstruction of the intestine with the presence of intramural ganglia in the terminal rectum. Intramural ganglia were abnormal in 77 cases, normal in 42, and could not be determined in 29. Of those with abnormal intramural ganglia, 54 had immature ganglia or hypoganglionosis (oligoganglionosis), 15 had neuronal intestinal dysplasia, and eight had a segmental anomaly. Of those with a normal myenteric plexus, 22 had chronic and twelve had suspected idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome; eight had megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome. While cases with both hypoganglionosis and normal intramural ganglia had normal acetylcholine esterase activity, a significantly greater number of patients with hypoganglionosis lacked normal rectoanal reflexes. Patients with hypoganglionosis, chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome, and megalocystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome had poor prognoses with an overall mortality of 36.9%. These findings indicate that congenital large intestinal motor dysfunction remains a serious disease of childhood.

[A study of urinary immunoglobulins and electrolyte excretion after lordosis].

We described a transient low or non-selective proteinuria after forced lordosis as a characteristic of orthostatic proteinuria and the heteroporous theory and sieving function theory which might explain the mechanism of orthostatic proteinuria. The angiogenic action of the renin-angiotensin system played an important part in these theories. Angiotensin II was recognized as the key regulator of renal sodium excretion, because it reduced the urinary Na/K ratio. Since the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the renin-angiotensin system on the mechanism of orthostatic proteinuria, proteins and electrolytes in the urine were examined before and after lordosis in 9 healthy children (Group A) and in 6 children with orthostatic proteinuria (Group B). The urinary ratio of protein/creatinine (P/cre) in Group B was already significantly higher than that in Group A before lordosis and significantly increased after lordosis, while P/cre in group A did not increase after lordosis. The urinary Na/K ratio (Na/K) in Group B was already significantly lower than that in Group A before lordosis, and after forced lordosis, Na/K in Group A decrease with no difference between both groups observed. It is suggested that a significant increase on P/cre after lordosis was obtained only in Group A, whereas in both groups the renal vein may be compressed by forced lordosis and as a result angiotensin II may be stimulated. There might be a difference of the responsibility to angiotensin II in glomerular mesangium contraction between both groups.

[Study on the objective identification of the origin of urinary erythrocyte using flow cytometry].

We examined fresh urine samples from patients with hematuria using flow cytometry to evaluate its clinical usefulness and accuracy in objectively identifying glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria. Two parameter analysis was applied for forward light scattering (0LS), chiefly representing cell volume, and perpendicular light scattering (90LS), chiefly representing cell structure. In patients whose diagnosis were established by renal biopsy or diagnostic procedures, the patterns of the distribution curves of 0LS and 90LS were divided into three groups: (1) glomerular, (2) non-glomerular and (3) debris patterns. After a prospective blind study was undertaken, the results of flow cytometry were later compared with the results of clinical diagnosis. Glomerular hematuria above 30/high power field could be detected with high sensitivity (92.9%) and specificity (90.5%). Glomerular diseases showed a significantly lower peak channel number than non-glomerular diseases did (0LS: 53.8 +/- 16.4 versus 97.5 +/- 26.5, p less than 0.01, 90LS: 48.4 +/- 17.0 versus 85.5 +/- 32.9, p less than 0.01, respectively). It is suggested that flow cytometric analysis of hematuria is an useful diagnostic procedure as a rapid, non-invasive, accurate and objective test for determination of origin of hematuria.

[Study on function of aganglionic colon musculature of Hirschsprung's disease murine model].

This study examined the function in vitro of aganglionic colon musculature in mice with hereditary aganglionosis--a strain of animals used as a model of Hirschsprung's disease. Double sucrose gap recordings from the muscle strips of both normal and aganglionic colon showed bursts of spike potentials with muscle contraction. Intracellular recordings of the membrane potentials of the circular muscle cells of normal, aganglionic and oligo-ganglionic colon had no statistical difference. Microelectrode recordings from the circular muscle cells of normal siblings, in the presence of nifedipine, irregular ongoing fluctuations in membrane potential, which were abolished by tetrodotoxin and reduced by d-tubocurarine or apamin. The fluctuations were less effected by atropine. These observations suggest that there is ongoing inhibitory neural activity to the circular smooth muscle of normal colon. These ongoing fluctuations were not recorded from the cells of aganglionic and oligo-ganglionic colon of affected animals. Although transmural stimulation of the intrinsic nerves produced cholinergic excitatory and inhibitory junction potentials in normal colon, no junction potentials were evoked by transmural stimulation in aganglionic colon. It was concluded that the ongoing tonic inhibitory activity may contribute to the compliance of the normal mouse colon and lack of the compliance may affect functional intestinal obstruction of the aganglionic colon in Hirschsprung's disease.

[Late complications after successful Kasai's operation for biliary atresia].

The late complications in 25 patients more than 3 years after successful Kasai's operation for biliary atresia were presented. Nine (36%) of these 25 patients had episodes of variceal hemorrhage with portal hypertension, and biliary reobstruction in 3 (12%), bleeding from duodenal ulcer in 2, bleeding from gastric erosion in one, and diffuse pulmonary arterio-venous shunt in one were observed. Recently esophageal varices have been well controlled by endoscopic sclerotherapy, and the surgical treatment may be indicated in older children complicated with severe hypersplenism and marked splenomegaly, which are resistant for sclerotherapy. As a surgical procedure, splenectomy with periesophago-gastric devascularization (Hassab's operation) seems to be very useful for portal hypertension by biliary cirrhosis. The reoperation, hepaticoenterostomy, was performed in 3 patients with biliary reobstruction. All three patients are alive and well, and two of them are at 19 years (university student) and 24 years (married life) of age. Hepatic Rehepaticoenterostomy is well indicated rather than liver transplantation, if biliary reobstruction is incurable with conservative therapy. Many of the patients with complications were able to carry on an almost normal life, if suitable treatments for complications were taken.

Endoscopic extraction of foreign bodies from the duodenum: four cases in infancy.

Four cases of foreign bodies in the duodenum were treated using a flexible fibre-optic panendoscope. All the patients were boys and eight months to four years of age. The ingested foreign materials were an injection needle, a marking pin, a hairpin and a curtain hook. Endoscopic extraction was attempted, because the ingested objects might cause perforation or obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. Until recently, they had to be carefully watched or prophylactic operation suggested. Under general anaesthesia, duodenal endoscopy was easily performed and extraction of foreign bodies was not found to be difficult during infancy. This is considered to be a safer and less hazardous way than careful watching or prophylactic operation.